New South Wales state government officials overruled the most popular name for the ferry after the trendsetter was first snubbed last year as a name for a British polar survey vessel. That ship was christened Sir David Attenborough in honor of the naturalist and broadcaster and Boaty McBoatface became the name of one of its remotely operated submarines.

"Given 'Boaty' was already taken by another vessel, we've gone with the next most popular name nominated by Sydneysiders," New South Wales Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said in a statement Tuesday.

"Ferry McFerryface will be the harbor's newest icon and I hope it brings a smile to the faces of visitors and locals alike," he added.

Ferry McFerryface joins the ranks of Trainy McTrainface, a Swedish express train, and Horsey McHorseface, a Sydney racehorse, after a trend started by a suggestion from a former BBC radio host.

Sydney residents have been encouraged for the past year to name six boats in a new Sydney Harbor fleet through the Name Your Ferry website and more than 15,000 responded.

The other new ferries were named after prominent Sydney Aborigines Bungaree and Pemulwuy and Australian medical doctors Victor Chan, Catherine Hamlin and Fred Hollows.